Verry Elleegant Horse Form (Photo: Steve Hart) | Races.com.au

2020 Cox Plate First Acceptances: 109 Still in the Hunt

Lucy Henderson September 8, 2020

2020 Cox Plate First Acceptances: 109 Still in the Hunt

First acceptances for the coveted Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2020 closed on Tuesday with 109 weight-for-age hopefuls still in the hunt for the historic 100th edition of The Valley showdown.

Verry Elleegant Horse Form (Photo: Steve Hart) | Races.com.au

Chris Waller’s four-time Group 1 winning mare Verry Elleegant is one of the key Cox Plate 2020 first acceptors. Photo: Steve Hart.

The Group 1 $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) takes place at Moonee Valley on Saturday October 24 and the horses heading towards the first of the ‘Big 3’ spring features has been cut from 182 (at nomination stage) to 109 horses.

There were 102 Cox Plate first acceptances in 2019 with numbers up slightly this season with 109 entries from 44 trainers including 37 Group 1 winners, 17 international raiders and nine previous contenders.

The 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate First Declarations Include:

  • 17 Internationals
  • 37 Group 1 Winners
  • 13 Previous Moonee Valley Winners
  • 33 Three-Year-Olds
  • 44 Trainers
  • 9 Previous Cox Plate Performers

It is the second-highest number of first acceptors for the event in the past decade behind the 110 taken in 2014, that year’s Cox Plate won by Irish-trained Adelaide for Aidan O’Brien.

O’Brien dominates the international Cox Plate first acceptances with 12 of the 17 raiders including his Cup hopefuls Japan and Magical.

Russian Camelot remains favourite in all-in Cox Plate betting at Ladbrokes.com.au with Danny O’Brien’s SA Derby winner set to resume at Flemington in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) this weekend.

Last year’s Melbourne Cup winning trainer Danny O’Brien has a total of six Cox Plate first acceptors with the all-in favourite joined by the likes of early Caulfield Guineas favourite Flying Award, Adelaide Cup winner King Of Leogrance and VRC Oaks heroine Miami Bound.

The other early favourite to take out Australasia’s weight-for-age championship is the Chris Waller-trained Verry Elleegant.

Waller is after his fifth success following the historic four-peat of his champion mare Winx who dominated the Cox Plate results from 2015-18.

Zed mare Verry Elleegant returned a Group 1 winner in the Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 22 and is also nominated for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup this spring.

The other Waller-trained horses still in Cox Plate contention include his Flight Stakes-bound filly Hungry Heart, Melbourne Cup performed stayer Finche and his shock first-up Group 2 Ladbrokes Feehan Stakes winner Humidor.

A dual Cox Plate placegetter, Humidor debuted for the Waller stable in the Feehan as an eight-year-old and won first-up for the first time in a shock victory.

In 2017 he gave Winx a fright when second in the Cox Plate before returning for a third behind the mighty mare in 2018.

He secured the golden ticket into the 2020 Cox Plate field after bypassing the event last year via the Feehan win and looked to still have a zest for racing.

Ciaron Maher & David Eustace are in the mix with a number of entries led by the former Aidan O’Brien-trained Irish galloper Sir Dragonet.

The Camelot entire ran second four times on the trot in Europe earlier in the year including in the Group 1 Gold Cup and looks a big danger in the spring features this carnival.

Melbourne Cup favourite Surprise Baby could still run in the Cox Plate as a stepping-stone into the ‘race that stops a nation’ after an eye-catching first-up run.

The Paul Preusker-trained son of Shocking, fifth in the Melbourne Cup results last November, kicked things off in the Feenahn Stakes.

He failed to secure the Cox Plate ballot exemption but lost few admirers with a flashing second behind comeback veteran Humidor.

Among the notable Cox Plate withdrawals are the inaugural two The All-Star Mile champions Mystic Journey and Regal Power, Australian Cup champ Fifty Stars, and David Vandyke’s and ace Queensland Alligator Blood who will be kept to shorter distances this campaign.

Cox Plate second acceptances close on Tuesday September 22.

Click here for the updated Cox Plate 2020 futures odds courtesy of race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate First Acceptances

Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 42x1x1311x AKTAU (GB) G 5 Michael Moroney
2 2021x ALCYONE C 3 James Cummings
3 35413x AMISH BOY C 3 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
4 x895756x25 ANGEL OF TRUTH G 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
5 111x105x5x ARCADIA QUEEN M 5 Grant & Alana Williams
6 720x507x06 ARISTIA M 5 Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra
7 11232x441x ARMORY (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
8 14x1x0x21x ASPETAR (FR) G 6 Roger Charlton
9 87x21411x1 AVANTAGE M 5 Jamie Richards
10 47x54533x4 AVILIUS (GB) G 7 James Cummings
11 31x AYSAR C 3 Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes
12 4184x14x11 BEHEMOTH G 5 David Jolly
13 2x13437x0x BRANDENBURG (NZ) H 4 John Sargent
14 52112x216x BUCKHURST (IRE) H 5 Joseph O’Brien
15 x111x0x11x BUFFALO RIVER (USA) G 5 Michael Moroney
16 3x25319x44 CASCADIAN (GB) G 6 James Cummings
17 6x010x040x CHIEF IRONSIDE (GB) H 6 Kris Lees
18 12714×1233 CIRCUS MAXIMUS (IRE) H 5 Aidan O’Brien
19 8221111×0 COLETTE M 4 James Cummings
20 05x6161x5x CON TE PARTIRO (USA) M 7 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
21 11012x043x CRACK ON CRACK ON (GB) G 6 Gary & John Moore
22 3555112×23 DALASAN H 4 Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas
23 41x0x0680x DANCETERIA (FR) G 6 Kris Lees
24 4311x44x DEGRAVES (IRE) H 4 Joseph O’Brien
25 12x122x33x DJANGO FREEMAN (GER) H 5 Robert Hickmott
26 115x3010x5 DR DRILL (GB) G 6 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
27 12114×8 DRAGON LEAP G 4 Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott
28 7x122826x ENNISTYMON (IRE) M 4 Aidan O’Brien
29 110111x FARNAN C 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
30 x8333835x0 FIDELIA M 5 Robbie Griffiths
31 11x2348x3x FIERCE IMPACT (JPN) H 7 Matthew Smith
32 34x51257x3 FINCHE (GB) G 7 Chris Waller
33 221×2 FLYING AWARD C 3 Danny O’Brien
34 11x2142x6x FUNSTAR M 4 Chris Waller
35 037902x00x GAILO CHOP (FR) G 10 Matthew Williams
36 2752x940x0 GATTING G 7 Peter G Moody
37 x2502162x3 GLENFIDDICH C 3 Peter G Moody
38 1x224x GLOBAL QUEST C 3 Chris Waller
39 14x10320x4 GREYSFUL GLAMOUR M 5 Mark Newnham
40 112x3314x3 HARBOUR VIEWS (FR) G 6 Matthew Williams
41 3x1212224x HARLECH (NZ) H 4 Michael Moroney
42 380x4549x7 HARLEM (GB) G 9 Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes
43 11919×61 HOLYFIELD C 3 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
44 2x1260x70x HOMESMAN (USA) G 7 Anthony & Sam Freedman
45 5496x085x1 HUMIDOR (NZ) G 8 Chris Waller
46 215×2 HUNGRY HEART F 3 Chris Waller
47 0x8100x34x IMAGING (GB) G 6 Chris Waller
48 31114x433x JAPAN (GB) H 5 Aidan O’Brien
49 243213111x JENNIFER ECCLES (NZ) M 4 Shaune Ritchie
50 61x JET PROPULSION C 3 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
51 2×2 KAZUHIKO C 3 Lloyd Kennewell
52 1148x8100x KENTUCKY BREEZE G 6 Levi Kavanagh
53 2x2113x50 KINANE (NZ) G 4 Chris Waller
54 349x211x2x KING OF LEOGRANCE (FR) G 6 Danny O’Brien
55 315x911x KING’S LEGACY C 3 Peter & Paul Snowden
56 6x32050x3x KINGS WILL DREAM (IRE) G 7 Chris Waller
57 131 KINGSHEIR (GB) H 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
58 1x45778x02 KOLDING (NZ) G 5 Chris Waller
59 0211x8x58x LEVENDI H 6 Peter Gelagotis
60 11x LOVE TAP G 3 Richard & Michael Freedman
61 5x52116x64 LUNAR FOX C 3 Paul Preusker
62 01229x145x MAGIC WAND (IRE) M 6 Aidan O’Brien
63 22151x112x MAGICAL (IRE) M 6 Aidan O’Brien
64 133×3 MAMARAGAN C 3 John Thompson
65 511x880x80 MANTASTIC (IRE) G 7 Chris Waller
66 311x114x0x MASTER OF WINE (GER) G 6 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
67 3411x84x4x MIAMI BOUND (NZ) M 4 Danny O’Brien
68 71826249×6 MISS FABULASS M 5 Kris Lees
69 8822x1180x MISS SISKA M 7 Matthew Smith
70 2114x4613x MOGUL (GB) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
71 3002x902x2 MR QUICKIE G 5 Phillip Stokes
72 6x11126x11 MUGATOO (IRE) G 6 Kris Lees
73 160x1225x0 MUSTAJEER (GB) G 8 Kris Lees
74 6143x503x MYTHICAL (FR) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
75 190x1410x0 NETTOYER M 7 Wendy Roche
76 331121×3 NONCONFORMIST G 4 Grahame Begg
77 3x11x NORTH PACIFIC C 3 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
78 5x347x ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
79 15627x2x22 ORDEROFTHEGARTER (IRE) H 7 Danny O’Brien
80 2x21x1113x PATRICK SARSFIELD (FR) H 5 Joseph O’Brien
81 912x13x PEACEFUL (IRE) M 4 Aidan O’Brien
82 2130x PERSONAL F 3 Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes
83 116162x PRAGUE C 3 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
84 7104x356x8 PRINCESS JENNI (NZ) M 5 David Brideoake
85 x111228x2x PROBABEEL (NZ) M 4 Jamie Richards
86 56x423115x QUICK THINKER H 4 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman
87 23x82435x3 RELOADED H 4 Chris Waller
88 1x11123x RIODINI (NZ) G 4 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
89 x11150x3x5 ROCK G 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
90 12x411x RUSSIAN CAMELOT (IRE) H 4 Danny O’Brien
91 1×24 SAUVESTRE C 3 Chris Waller
92 32x SAVANNAH CLOUD (NZ) C 3 Phillip Stokes
93 14×111111 SHOWMANSHIP (NZ) G 5 Grant & Alana Williams
94 x44x2x222x SIR DRAGONET (IRE) H 5 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
95 4644116×45 SO SI BON G 7 Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes
96 1x61212x8 SUPERGIANT (NZ) G 4 Michael Costa
97 2154x122x9 SUPERSTORM G 4 Grant & Alana Williams
98 4132x415x2 SURPRISE BABY (NZ) G 6 Paul Preusker
99 31x4124x3 TAGALOA C 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
100 07713116×1 THE CANDY MAN G 7 Peter & Paul Snowden
101 3x12x TIGER MOTH (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
102 4x622221x5 TOFFEE TONGUE (NZ) M 4 Chris Waller
103 217x6x460x TRUE SELF (IRE) M 8 William Mullins
104 41121111×9 VANNA GIRL M 4 Toby & Trent Edmonds
105 51x287x VATICAN CITY (IRE) H 4 Aidan O’Brien
106 0x42212x1x VERRY ELLEEGANT (NZ) M 5 Chris Waller
107 1x421x395x VOW AND DECLARE G 5 Danny O’Brien
108 3x1x YOSEMITE (NZ) F 3 Robbie Griffiths
109 26x1122x80 ZEBROWSKI (NZ) G 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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